Free Special Education Workshops for Parents of Children With Disabilities Planned in Rural Communities

AUSTIN — Disability Rights Texas will host eight free special education workshops for parents of children with disabilities living in rural communities across the state.

The daylong workshops will teach parents how to obtain special education services and supports for children with disabilities and will answer many of the frequently asked questions about children’s special education rights, including:

 How to advocate on behalf of a child with disabilities who needs special education instruction
 How to prepare for an Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting with school administrators
 The parent’s role in creating a child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)

The workshops, scheduled for fall 2011 and spring 2012, will be presented by a former special education teacher who has been training families, parent organizations and school districts on a wide range of special education topics, including instruction design and inclusion of children with disabilities, since 2001.

In addition, DRTx advocates and attorneys will be available to answer parents’ questions. Workshop locations include Nacogdoches, Hereford, Midland, Huntsville, Laredo, Brownsville, Tyler and Mount Pleasant. Spanish language and American Sign Language interpreters will be provided. Registration is required to secure a spot, so interested parents should so visit the “News and Programs” section of the DRTx website at www.DisabilityRightsTx.org or call 1-800-252-9108 for more information about specific workshop locations and times.

“Many thanks are due to the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, which provided the funding for these free workshops,” said Mary Faithfull, executive director of Disability Rights Texas, the legal protection and advocacy agency (P&A) for people with disabilities in Texas.

“When we survey communities across the state, we repeatedly hear about the need for special education rights training for parents and guardians of children with disabilities,” she added. “We know these workshops will help parents understand their rights and learn how best to advocate on behalf of their special-needs children.”

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Disability Rights Texas (previously named Advocacy Inc.) is the federally designated legal protection and advocacy agency (P&A) for people with disabilities in Texas. Our mission is to help people with disabilities understand and exercise their rights under the law, ensuring their full and equal participation in society.